Ventilating boots and shoes



lUNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MOS STOCKER, OF WATERTOWN, NEW YORK.

VENTILATING BOOTS AND SHOES.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be Vit known that I, AMos SCrooKER, of Watertown, in the county ofJefferson, in the State of New York, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Boots and Shoes; and I do hereby declare th at thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, referencebeing had to accompanying drawings and the letters of reference markedthereon.

The nature of my invention consists in providin g a boot or shoe .witha'bellows, operated by the foot, sufficiently large to draw all of thedamp air from within the boot, or force fresh' air in, which will drivethe damp air out.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and usemyinvention, I willproceed to describe its construction and operation.

I first cut a piece of leather, in the form of Figure 1, that will fitthe inside of the boot at the heel. I now cut pieces from very thinspring sheetbrass, about three and half inches long, and betweenone-half an inch and one inch in width, with holes in their ends, asseen in Fig. 10. I then bend them in the form of 'Fig 3. They are usedto keep the top and bottom ofthe bellows apart when not operated by thefoot. I then rivet or sew the springs onto the leather, as representedin Fig. 4, which forms the bottom of the bellows. It may be foundpreferable to use india-rubber for the bellows instead of leather,thereby dispensing nearly or altogether with the use of metallic springsto keep the bellows open. I then take a tube of about one-eighth of aninch diameter of bore, and about one-half an inchlong,and another tubeabout three ei ghths of an inch long, and just large enough to slip overthe end of the small tube irst spoken of. It has holes around near itscenter (see Fig. 5) and is adjusted on the small tube as shown in Fig.6. I then make a valve suitable to play within the larger tube and largeenough to cover the orifice of the small tube, so that the air may passbetween the edges'of valve and inside of large cylinder, (see Fig. 3,)and to the center of valve. I secure one end of a piece of india-rubberor other spring, the other end being secured to a pin in the center ofthe bore, so as to' keep the valve up aga-inst the end of the small tubewhen not forced back by the air passinginto the bellows. (Seecrosssection view, Fig. 7.) I then attach a tube of flexible material toone end of the small tube, referred to above, air-tight, the said tubebeing of the right length to reach to within one inch of the front endof the insole, which I cut to fit the boot, deducting from its length atheel the leather, (see Fig. 1,) less one-fourth of one inch. I then cuta groove in the center of insole to within about one inch of the toe,where it branches off, and in each branch I cut or punch two or threeholes entirely through the insole, for the damp air or water to passdown through in grooves or tubes, Figs. 9, 10, and 11. I then place theflexible tube, Fig 8, in the single groove, Fig. 9. I next make anothervalve and tube as before described, and as seen in Fig. 6, with thefollowing-described addition, viz: I make a cap with small holes in itscenter, and formed so that it will screw or slide on over the outwardend of large tube full oneeighth of an inch, air-tight, and at theopposite end of small tube I form a rim or ange turned outward forthepurpose of preventing the bellows from slipping olf when the valve-tubeis being drawn outward by the cap A, Fig. 12, as it is forced up againstthe heel or counter air-tight, Figs. 14 and 15. I now place the tube,Fig. 12, on the back part of leather, Fig. 10, at B, with the small endinward. I then place the sole, Fig.l 9, on the same leather, theirstraight ends lapping about one-fourth of an inch, the grooves and tubesbeing on theunder side of sole and next to the leather, Figs. el and 10.I now cut another leather the `same shape and size as Fig. 4, and placeit resting on the springs, as seen in Fig. 10, so that their straightedges are one over the other, and the straight-end edge of sole inbetween them, with its tube o, Fig. 9. I now sew their circle-edgestogether, which secures the valve-tube between them air-tight, as I sewacross their straight ends, down through the insole, being allair-tight, except through its valves when the bellows is in motion. Inow cut a round hole through the center of the boot, near the center, ona level with the upper edge of the regular insole of the boot or shoe,just large enough to admit the end of the rear tube without its capquite snugly or airtight through the inner side of counter. I then placethe insole and bellows, Fig. 1l, in the boot,and insert said tube in andnearly through the hole in the counter.

2 44,467 l i I then adjust the cap A over the outward end changing orcausing fresh air to pass through of large tube, and drive or screw iton airthe inside oi a boot or shoe, as set forth.

tight against the back of the counter of the 2. The air-tube passingthrough the insole,

boot, as seen at A, Fig. 14. with the air-holes at the toe, asdescribed.

Having described my invention what I claim as new, and desire to secureby Letters AMOS STOGKER 1 Patent, is Witnesses 1. A boot or shoe incombination with a be1- A. J. SHEW, lows acted upon by thefoot, for thepurpose of SAMUEL MU CKLE.

